The poor, rural working class should not be stereotyped or looked down upon.

The poor, rural working class should not be stereotyped or looked down upon. Haruf, the author, specifically organizes his cast of rural, working class characters around impoverished circumstances. This demonstrates that they, like all Americans and all people throughout the world, are human. They love deeply, and they suffer tragedies and heartbreaks. The poor working class deserve to be respected and understood.

The McPheron brothers, Harold and Raymond, are elderly, traditional men who have good hearts. As cattle ranchers, they are simple men who work hard and live quiet lives. Working with cattle and horses on a ranch does not mean that they are less intelligent, less kind, or less human than anyone else. Both brothers feel a tremendous loss when Victoria goes away to college. Raymond experiences devastation when Harold is killed. Then...